Teaching Arithmetic Operations Using Geometric Chess Symbols

ABSTRACT

A chess set in which each chess symbol is respectively created according to its directional mobility permitted. The orientation indicator is diverging about a center point directed by geometric line, line segment or ray to its relevant square on a chess board.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,018 12-1992 Zhang, Maosen 273/260

U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,904 09-1971 Margetson, Desmond W. 273/288

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

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THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT

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INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Chess set has been historically used to play chess for fun and also in chess tournaments. The invention of this chess set is to teach children math in addition to learn chess. The chess set is comprised of 32 chess pieces, each said piece has an indicia uniquely marked using geometry concept of lines or line segments on one chess piece in square shape. The permissible mobility and its direction of each said piece are therefore completely identifiable to facilitate the learning of chess. Each line or line segment on a chess piece can be highlighted on one direction to indicate its actual move direction. This highlighted portion on a line or line segment creates a geometry concept of ray to indicate its intended move direction and can be incorporated with arithmetic to show its operation orientation such as order of operation in math.

As discussed in greater detail below, the present invention differs all of the prior art in that it truly utilizes the concept of geometry to create the symbol of each chess piece based on the line, line segment, and ray of geometry transformation.

(1) Field of the Invention

It is the objective of the present invention to provide a chess set which can be used to teach beginner chess by using basic geometry concept. With the built in geometry concept on the symbol of each chess piece, each chess piece has the capability to indicate its orientation and thus the additional objective of the present invention is to integrate this chess set with math to allow the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in the direction of using chess moves as indicated. The third objective is to use the unique feature of indicated move on chess symbol to create chess mazes. This criteria of operating math problems or chess mazes is achieved by darkening or thickening part of line or line segment to create a ray (only one move direction in geometry) to indicate its move direction.

(2) Description of Related Art

Many chess sets have invented for the purpose of playing chess. The Margetson's U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,904 chess set has symbols on all 4 sides thus no “blind” chess can be played. It was not specifically tied to the geometry concept since it does not distinguish the definitions of line (with arrows at two ends) or line segment (with no arrows at two ends). For example, the move directions showing all arrows in Margetson's design for all chess pieces regardless how many squares each piece can actually move to. Pawn (FIG. 1) in Margetson's design has 3 arrows even though pawn can only move one square when takes other pieces. More evidently, king and queen only differ by their lengths of lines and also the difference in the intersection of the central part. Therefore, no central or original point is being envisioned. Margetson's knight's design uses 8 L shaped-lines with 8 arrows pointing to permissible directions when the only possible move is just to one square.

Margetson's chess set only shows all possible moves and is not designed to show any specific one direction of move (geometry concept of ray) and how it is tied to math education.

Margetson's chess set has the symbol of chess on one side and the move of the piece on the other side. Due to this reason, Margetson chess set can not be used to play blind chess (A chess game is played in such a way that one's chess indicia can not be seen by the opponent.)

In the prior art related to U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,018 (Zhang), Zhang's invention does not use chess pieces moves but to use pieces of 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, +, − *, div., and X and Y to form algebraic expression. Further, Zhang's invention relates to such a game and its playing method wherein both of the ability of algebraic operation and the playing skill of Chinese checkers are required.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved chess set to be used in conjunction therewith in connection with which it is possible to facilitate the chess teaching.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved chess set to be used in conjunction therewith in connection with which it is possible to integrate the teaching of chess and math.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved chess set to be used in conjunction therewith in connection with which it is possible to create chess mazes.

In order to achieve the objects set for the above and others, the present invention makes use of the geometry definitions of line, line segment, and ray and the geometry transformation rotation concept of central point to design a new chess set.

The specific direction of chess move of each chess piece can be shown by having a darker line or line segment, in this manner this highlighted line or line segment of each chess piece can be used to visually teach the operation of addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division, i.e., an fun way of learning math.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The following drawings are illustrative of embodiments of the invention and are not meant to limit the scope of the invention as encompassed by the use of claims.

FIG. 1 shows plan view of a pawn.

FIG. 2 shows plan view of a bishop.

FIG. 3 shows plan view of a knight.

FIG. 4 shows plan view of a rook.

FIG. 5 shows plan view of a queen.

FIG. 6 shows plan view of a king.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ELEMENTS

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein the same reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements.

Each chess piece is in the shape of a square and different colors could be used to indicate 2 chess players. The indicia on each piece is the symbol of each chess piece's permissible move and only printed one side of each chess piece. No other symbols are printed on any other sides of each chess piece. This feature allows chess pieces to stand up to play a game which the opponent can not see the indicia of each other's piece. All chess pieces have a central point placed in the middle of each squared chess piece. This is in line with the geometry concept of using the center point as the transformation point to move around.

In FIG. 1, the pawn piece has 3 line segments with no arrows to indicate that each pawn's move is limited to the end of its line segment; this is totally in line with the concept of line segment in geometry. Player learns geometry concept while learning chess.

In FIG. 2, the bishop piece has 2 crossed lines with arrows at ends to indicate it can move as far as it can safely move to or take other pieces.

In FIG. 3, the knight is illustrated by 8 connected L shape with a central point but with no arrows to indicate its permissible moves are limited to the end of each line segment.

In FIG. 4, the illustration of a rook is very similar to bishop other than the fact its possible moves are from top to down and from side to side. The arrows at ends indicate its moves can go as far as it can safely move to.

In FIGS. 5 and 6, the king has no arrows, and the queen has arrows to utilize the geometry concept that the arrow is to show its moves are not limited, but since king has no arrows so its move is limited to only one square at each move.

The entire design of these chess pieces is to use the concept of line and line segments in geometry to show where and how each chess piece should move and to achieve the purpose of “what you move is what you see”.

The present invention also use the geometry of ray to indicate one specific direction by darkening the line segment from the central point to the end and thus create a ray which is in line with the geometry concept that is ray only has one direction. The following FIG. 7 of a rook's specific move demonstrates this above thereof described concept.

By darkening line or line segment (and thus creating the geometry concept of ray) on the symbol, each chess piece can display specifically as to its pointed direction of move, these directed moves allow the arithmetic problems such as “order of operation” to be conducted. 

1. A chess set is in the uniform of being a square with only one face showing an indicia of chess moves using the line, line segment or ray geometry concept. 